X = [FANG++]
If you said you work for X and at the very end of the interview you said “BTW, I’m actually a contractor” you’d be an immediate no hire due to poor judgement.
Is work at X is appropriate?
"as a contractor"
You work at X= FAANG. You work for your agency. I thought that was how it worked. You are not an employee of X.
Eh that's still confusing and signaling towards being an FTE at FAANG
(Sigh) It really should not be confusing as to who your employer is. You are welcome to say that you were posted or worked at X. Here's the thing. If a candidate was upfront about that, I'd be impressed that whether contractor or employee this person could handle that sort of work and culture. But if you misrepresent yourself on your resume and use X as your employer and you are found out...... That's an immediate disqualification.
Say “I worked at X as a contractor through Y”
That’s obviously the most straightforward thing to say. What the OP is asking is what is they extent they can insinuate that they are a FANG employee without lying.
In conversation, where you go to work is more important than who signs your paycheck. On your resume, you should say ContractorCo and then can specify X.
Contractors don’t have to pass the bar. If you claim to work for X and don’t mention that it’s as a contractor, you’re basically lying.
What the OP is asking is to what extent can they can insinuate that they are a FANG employee without explicitly lying?! As a contractor You don’t work for Google, but you definitely work at Google HQ in Mountain View!
G employees are encouraged to SNITCH on you anonymously if you misrepresent on LI. Careful a lot of them get off on telling on you! "Since TVCs are not Alphabet employees, they may not represent themselves as such on resumes or external sites (e.g. social media sites like LinkedIn ... If Soo-jin feels comfortable, she can address it with the temp directly. She can also report it anonymously through [redacted], or email [redacted] who can work with their employer to resolve." https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/dec/11/google-tvc-full-time-employees-training-document
Unfortunately, in many companies, including FAANG, you are a nobody as a contractor.